Anchor



July 4,1961 H. D. MORGAN ETAL 2,990,799

ANCHOR Filed Oct. 8, 1958 In Hm Hara/d //arga/y /70/1/63/ Marga/7JNVENToRs.

By f

A TOR/v y 2,990,799 ANCHOR Harold D. Morgan, 8425 37th St., Tampa, Fla.,and Harvey D. Morgan, Rte. 1, Box 456, Dover, Fla. Filed Oct. 8, '1958,Ser. No.` 766,106 7 Claims. (Cl. 114-208) This invention relates toanchors and is particularly concerned with anchors, the flukes of whichmay be released With respect to the anchor shank in automatic responseto tension so that such anchors may be disengaged from rocks, stones orother subsurface impediments.

While in its broadest aspects the present inventive concept may bevariously carried out, the present specic form of the invention relatesto the securement of anchor ukes by one or more shear pins which mayyield under tension to release the flukes for such amplitude of relativemovement as to free the anchor should the ilukes become caught beneathor behind an object. While anchors have heretofore been provided withtension responsive means for releasing the ilukes thereof uponengagement with subterraneous objects, such structures have been eithercomplicated beyond the scope of economic manufacture or inefficient withrespect to the strength required in holding the flukes in an effectiveposition during use. In some instances the ukes have been fixed withrespect to the anchor stock and/or shank precluding any normal pivotalmovement which is highly desirable. In other cases the freedom ofreleased motion is so limited as to preclude disengagement of the anchorunder certain circumstances.

It is, therefore, among the objects of the present invention to providea simple, effective, efficient and economical anchor the linkes of whichare preferably free for partial pivotal movement at all times but whichmay be released in response to a predetermined tension on the anchorcable or chain to free the flukes for increased and preferably free 360degree movement. In one form of the invention the ukes are fixed andmove together with a rotary stock while in another form of the inventionthey are mounted for individual movement with respect to the stock. Inthose forms of the invention here shown by way of illustration,

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of one preferred form of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a vertical fragmentary section through the central portionof the stock of the anchor of FIGURE l as indicated by the line L-Z ofFIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section through the horizontal stock of theanchor of FIGURES 1 and 2 taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of FIGURE2,

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is an illustration of the anchor released in response topressure to permit the flukes to move with complete 360 degree motionwith respect to the anchor shank, and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view partly in section of a modified form ofthe invention.

In that form of the invention here shown by way of illustration, theanchor consists of a shank 10 to which the anchor cable or chain may besecured through the eyelet 11. The shank may be provided with suchcrossarms adjacent the eyelet as desired. At the lower end of the shank10 there is provided a tubular crossarm or stock 12 into which is fittedthe stock or nuke bar 13. The fluke ybar 13 is formed with the shoulder14 against which the square fluke heads 15 are engaged by pressure fromsecuring nuts 16 threaded as at 17 to rounded extremities of theoutwardly extending square ends 18 ICC of the otherwise round stock bar13. By so mounting the individual ukes each may be individually securedwith the bar 13 and each may be exchanged if damaged. Such constructionprovides ease of manufacture and insures freedom of movement. s

'Ihe ukes 15A and the uke bar 13 to which they are rigidly secured bythe nuts 16 are secured against full 360 degree pivotal movement by ashear pin 20 which is inserted -transversely of the bar 13. The head 21and the furcated end 22 of the shear pin 20 are received withincircumferentially extending slots Z3 of stock 12 preferably of degreeextent. Thus, the arrangement is such that free pivotal movement of thebar 13 and thus of the flukes, is in this instance, of 45 degreeangulanity with respect to either side of the shank. Movement beyondsuch clearance is precluded by engagementof the shear pin with theterminal points of the receiving slots 23. However, should the dukes beengaged with an irresistible obstacle, force supplied by the anchorchain will urge the flukes and bar for rotation beyond the limit imposedby the shear pin. 4The shear pin will thus be severed permitting thestock bar 13 with the flukes to turn freely within the hollow stock 12to release the anchor. Such relative rotation of the flukes and bar withrespect to the shank 10 is` illustrated by the dotted line position ofthe shank in FIGURE 5.

In that form of the invention presented in FIGURE 6 of the drawings, thedukes 30 are shown as individually attached to reduced rounded endportions 31 of the anchor stock 32. The central portion of the stock isrigidly secured to the shank 33 while the outer ends are formed withshoulders 34 against which the linke heads 35 may bear while nuts 36threadedly engaging the terminal threaded extremities 37 of the stock 32secure the anchor flukes from inadvertent displacement. However, suchsecurement while permitting free motion provides for change orreplacement if desired. Individual limited pivotal movement of eachfluke 30 with respect to the4 stock end to which it is secured isprovided by opposed slots preferably of approximately 90 degree ex-..

tent extending through each side of each iluke head to gether with shearpins 39 formed in the manner of the shear pins 20 and acting similarlyso as to permit independent free angular movement of the ilukes withrespect to the shank 33. Such movement is here shown as 90 degrees inaccordance with the extent of the slots 38 and preferably being of equalextent on each side of the central axis of the shank.

As in the manner of that form of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 to 5,should one or both of the 4iukes be so engaged by an object to resistthe normal raising of the anchor by conventional tension, an increasedtension on such anchor chain will cause either one or both of the shearpins 39 to be broken to release whichever fluke is engaged or both ofthe ukes, should they both be engaged, to permit free full rotationalmovement of the ukes. Thus, the anchor may be raised despite engagementof one or both of 4the ilukes by some subsurface o ject.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a novel, simpleand improved anchor which readily meets the demands for economicmanu-facture and yet provides tension responsive release of the ukes topermit such relative motion with respect to the stock and/or shank ofthe anchor as to provide for the release of the anchor should it be soengaged as to preclude the normal raising of the anchor under anchorcable or chain tension. It will also be noted that the structureprovides for the independent mounting of the flukes so that they may bereadily released for exchange or repair and that such arrangementmaterially aids in thek economic assembly v 3 of the device. It willfurther be noted that while the ukes are securely retained by theconstruction of the present assembly, they are nevertheless free forlimited or full rotation with respect to the anchor stock without damageor loss.

It will of course be understood that in the practice of the inventionnumerous changes, modiications and the full use of equivalents may beresorted to without departure from the spirit or scope of the inventionas outlined in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l; An anchor including a shank, a stock secured to said shank andextending transversely thereof, a-t least one nke pivotally mounted withrespect to said stock and a shear pin restraining pivotal movement ofsaid fluke with respect to said stock, said shear pin being engagedthrough a slot to permit limited motion of the fluke with respect to theslot.

2. An anchor including a shank, a stock secured to said shank andextending transversely thereof, at least one fluke pivotally mountedwith respect to said stock and a shear pin restraining pivotal movementof said fluke with respect to said stock, said shear pin being Yengagedthrough a slot to permit limited motion of the fluke with respect to theslot and being fractionable under strain between said fluke and stock torelease said nke for full rotation with respect to said stock.

3. An anchor including a shank, a stock secured to said shank andextending transversely thereof, at least one uke pivotally mounted withrespect to said stock and a shear pin restraining pivotal movement ofsaid fluke with respect to said stock, said shear pin being engaged-throngh a slot to permit limited motion of the uke with respect to theslot and being fractionable under strain between said fluke and stock torelease said uke for full rotation with respect to said stock, saidiluke being mounted with respect to said stock by an internal rod pinnedto said iluke by said shear pin.

' 4. An anchor including a shank, a stock secured to said shank andextending transversely thereof, at least o ne fluke pivotally mountedwith respect to said stock and a shear pin restraining pivotal movementof said uke with respect to said stock, said shear pin being engaged'through a slot to permit limited motion of the fluke with respect tothe slot and being fractionable under strain between said fluke andstock to release said fluke for full rotation with respect to saidstock, said fluke being directly mounted on said stock with the shearpin extending therebetween.

5. A releasable anchor including a shank, a hollow stock rigidly securedto said shank, a stock bar rotatably mounted in said hollow stock,linkes mounted on said bar, and a shear pin engaged between said stockbar and hollow stock, said hollow stock dening oppositely disposedcircumferential slots to receive the opposite ends of said shear pin.

6. A releasable anchor including a shank, a hollow stock rigidly securedto said shank, a stock bar rotatably mounted in said hollow stock,linkes mounted on said bar, and a shear pin engaged between said stockbar and hollow stock, said hollow stock defining oppositely disposedcircumferential slots to receive the appropriate ends of said shear pin,said slots being in the plane of the axis of the shank, equally spacedand of 90 degree circumferential extent to form side openings while theshear pin extends horizontally and transversely through the bar topermit normal pivotal movement of the flnkes in angular paths 45 degreeson either side of the shank axis.

7. A releasable anchor including a shank, a stock rigidly securedtransversely of said shank, and nkes rotatably mounted at the ends ofsaid stock and shear pins restraining pivotal movement of said ukes withrespect to said stock each fluke including a head dening opposed slotsfor receiving the ends of the shear pins to permit limited free rotationof said ukes on said stock, said slots being equally spacedcircumferentially of said uke heads and of 90 degree circumferentialextent on either side of said stock to provide free rotation of 45degrees on either side of the plane of the shank axis.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS BurlesonNov. 27,

